Apple pulls U-turn on need for anti-virus

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The Apple advisory which resulted in a debate about the need for Mac anti-virus has been pulled from Apple’s web support site.

The company has pulled an abrupt U-turn on its previous message about encouraging Mac OS users to purchase anti-virus software, with an Apple spokesperson claiming that Mac computers were “safe out of the box”.

It was also revealed that the support advice wasn’t actually new advice, as Apple published the advice in a similar form way back in June 2007.

Apple spokesperson Bill Evans said the company pulled the knowledge base article because it was “old and inaccurate.”

He said: “The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box.”

Graham Cluley, security expert at Sophos, said it was a “fascinating example of how the internet could get away with itself.”

He also said that it shouldn’t have been a surprise for Mac users that Apple had been quietly recommending anti-virus for some time.

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